With the 2020 election right around the corner, we have one simple message: Vote.

During the 2018 midterm election, voter turnout in the 18-29 age range was 36%, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. While that is a significant increase from the 20% in 2014, there is still work to be done.

As quoted in the movie “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “You gotta bump those numbers up, those are rookie numbers.”

Students often write off voting because they don’t care, don’t know how, feel like their vote doesn’t matter or don’t know the issues well enough, when in fact that could not be further from the truth.

As college students, our voices matter. Election decisions, from the president all the way down the ballot to the city council, affect our education and our college experience, and this election will be no different.

For example, early in September, the Brookings City Council considered legislation that was directly targeted at college students; however, it is an open secret that college kids don’t vote. Therefore, our voices are left out of the conversations.

The South Dakota Legislature regularly considers legislation regarding South Dakota State University academic programs and buildings, scholarships and more.

While you live here in Brookings, you are allowed to vote here. You can register from your residential hall room or wherever else you live. It is time for students in Brookings to start using their voice.

Sharing a tweet from the Barstool doesn’t have near the power of voting, yet it takes less time than you spend on TikTok. The student vote could be the most powerful voting bloc in Brookings, yet we do not take advantage of this essential liberty—the time is now.

While we would encourage you to support Republican candidates in the upcoming election, we just want you to cast a ballot.

If you’re interested in being involved before or after election day, consider joining the SDSU College Republicans. Their connections, lobbying power and influence can help your voice be heard year-round.

The election is  Nov. 3, and the deadline to register in South Dakota is Oct. 19.

Vote. It’s that simple.